Latakia officials meet neighborhood committees to boost civil peace

Latakia Governor Mohammad Othman met with neighborhood committees in the city on Thursday to discuss strengthening community cooperation, addressing service-related challenges, and reinforcing civil peace, in a meeting attended by Local Administration Director Ali Assi and Latakia District Director Omar Khallou.

Othman said the governorate has seen a noticeable improvement in stability in recent months, crediting neighborhood committees with playing a key role—particularly during the past two days—in preventing attempts to incite unrest and exploit local developments to undermine security. He stressed that any effort to harm national unity or disrupt civil peace would be firmly rejected.

He underlined that neighborhood committees remain essential partners to state institutions, especially in conveying citizens’ concerns and monitoring service needs on the ground. Othman also called for greater interaction between neighborhoods to strengthen social cohesion and encourage collective responsibility.

The governor noted tangible progress in several public services over the past six months, while acknowledging that a number of issues still require gradual solutions through sustained coordination between local councils, municipalities, and neighborhood representatives.

Ahmad Daabol, a member of the Southern Raml Neighborhood Committee, said that social strength is rooted in solidarity, adding that Latakia’s residents continue to live in coexistence despite what he described as repeated attempts by “outside agendas” to destabilize the province.

Sami Osama Soufi, a member of the Mashrou’ Al-Saliba Neighborhood Committee, stressed the need to prioritize youth engagement in schools and universities through regular dialogue sessions aimed at reinforcing national awareness and strengthening the social fabric.

Participants agreed on the importance of maintaining close coordination with local authorities and expanding community initiatives that support civil peace and improve public services, as part of wider efforts to reinforce stability and advance development across the governorate.

The meeting is part of an ongoing series of consultations launched by the Latakia governorate to enhance direct engagement with local communities and strengthen the role of grassroots initiatives in preserving stability and social cohesion.